Mastermind
Taylor Swift Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once upon a time, the planets and the fates
And all the stars aligned
You and I ended up in the same room
At the same time

And the touch of a hand lit the fuse
Of a chain reaction of countermoves
To assess the equation of you
Checkmate, I couldn't lose

What if I told you none of it was accidental
And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me?
I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork
The dominoes cascaded in a line

What if I told you I'm a mastermind?
And now you're mine
It was all by design
'Cause I'm a mastermind

You see, all the wisest women
Had to do it this way
'Cause we were born to be the pawn
In every lover's game

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
Strategy sets the scene for the tale
I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails
And the liquor in our cocktails

What if I told you none of it was accidental
And the first night that you saw me, I knew I wanted your body?
I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork
The dominoes cascaded in a line




What if I told you I'm a mastermind?
And now you're mine
It was all my design
'Cause I'm a mastermind

No one wanted to play with me as a little kid
So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since
To make them love me and make it seem effortless
This this the first time I've felt the need to confess
And I swear
I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care

So I told you none of it was accidental
And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me
I laid the groundwork and then saw a wide smirk
On your face, you knew the entire time

You knew that I'm a mastermind
And now you're mine
Yeah, all you did was smile
'Cause I'm a mastermind

Overall Meaning

In "Mastermind" by Taylor Swift, the singer recounts a story of meeting someone by design, rather than by chance. The song portrays her as a cunning and Machiavellian character who orchestrated the whole encounter. The lyrics imply that the universe and the stars aligned for the two to be in the same room, and Taylor’s mastermind skills took over from there. The touch of a hand sets off a chain reaction of moves, designed to analyze the equation of the other person, and ultimately ‘Checkmate; I couldn't lose.' The song boldly explains that they were meant to be together, and this was not just a random coincidence. Taylor seems to be confident and very calculated about everything that transpires between them.


The song also speaks about how women, historically, had to do things this way to get what they wanted because they were expected to be the pawns in every lover's game. Taylor also gives hints about herself and reveals that she has had to scheme like a criminal because no one wanted to play with her as a kid. The song ends with Taylor confessing that she did this on purpose, and that’s why now ‘you’re mine.’


Overall, "Mastermind" is a song about taking control of one's destiny and owning the result of intentional actions. It also adds up to the idea that people have the power to create their own fate.


Line by Line Meaning

Once upon a time, the planets and the fates
At one point in time, the cosmic forces of the universe conspired to bring us together


And all the stars aligned
Every celestial body in the sky came together in perfect harmony to create the conditions for our meeting


You and I ended up in the same room
Our paths crossed and we found ourselves in each other's presence


At the same time
Our meeting was timed perfectly by destiny


And the touch of a hand lit the fuse
Our physical contact sparked a powerful attraction


Of a chain reaction of countermoves
Our interactions led to a series of measured responses


To assess the equation of you
I began to analyze and understand who you are as a person


Checkmate, I couldn't lose
I had calculated every move and emerged victorious in our love game


What if I told you none of it was accidental
Our meeting was planned and executed to perfection


And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me?
From the moment you laid eyes on me, I knew I had to have you and nothing would stand in my way


I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork
I prepared the foundation for our relationship and everything fell into place seamlessly


The dominoes cascaded in a line
My plan unfolded smoothly, with one step leading to the next


What if I told you I'm a mastermind?
I'm a strategic genius and was in control of our entire relationship


And now you're mine
I have successfully won your love and affection


It was all by design
Every aspect of our relationship was carefully planned and orchestrated by me


'Cause I'm a mastermind
Due to my superior intellect and cunning, I was able to win your heart


You see, all the wisest women
The most intelligent and successful women throughout history


Had to do it this way
They too had to use strategy and cunning to succeed in love


'Cause we were born to be the pawn
As women, we are often objectified and treated as pawns in men's games of love


In every lover's game
Love is often seen as a competition, with winners and losers


If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
Without a strategy, you are destined to fail


Strategy sets the scene for the tale
A well-planned strategy is essential for a successful relationship


I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails
I'm the force that guides our relationship, allowing it to flourish


And the liquor in our cocktails
I'm the secret ingredient that gives our relationship a little kick


No one wanted to play with me as a little kid
I was lonely and ostracized as a child


So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since
I've always been a master strategist, constantly plotting and planning for success


To make them love me and make it seem effortless
My goal has always been to win the admiration and affection of others while making it look easy


This this the first time I've felt the need to confess
I'm usually secretive about my strategies, but I feel compelled to share them with you


And I swear
I'm telling the truth


I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care
My strategic tactics may seem manipulative, but they are motivated by my love and devotion to you


On your face, you knew the entire time
You had an inkling of my true intentions all along


You knew that I'm a mastermind
You finally understand the depth of my strategic genius


And now you're mine
All my planning and scheming has finally paid off and you belong to me


Yeah, all you did was smile
You couldn't help but grin at the revelation of my true self




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jack Michael Antonoff, Taylor Alison Swift

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@markjohngomez3935

“What if I told that none of it was accident”

I was never really a fan of Taylor (but I know and love some of her songs) but my girl loved her and we decided to listen to ‘Midnights’, but I just want to share our story with you guys.

I can definitely say that I'm a mastermind. Back then, we were talking (as friends) how not ready we are for a relationship, but as the time flies, one day I just woke saying, “I'm liking her, I definitely want to take care of her.”. I made moves (that's not obvious ofc) one her, just because I can't contain the feelings I have for her.

We met in a world that nobody knows who you really are. When I saw here stories on Facebook, I admit that she's attractive but intimidating. We got close, from a simple Hi and Hellos to talk for hours. I liked her (I know, I easily get attached) but didn't have the courage to tell her, I ended up keeping it.

I liked here not just because of her looks (that's just a bonus), but because of her attitude and personality. She's strong, kind, and cute (I know, I'm addicted to her.). So I made moves that wouldn't be obvious, I made jokes calling her our endearment right now. And it turns out that she also likes me. I know, right? I didn't plan for it, just for her to notice my feelings.

Guess what? We celebrated our first anniversary last June. And I'm telling you, guys. As the day pass by, I am falling for her even more.

I know, it's too cheesey, so what? I love her and I'm proud of it.



All comments from YouTube:

@bekahmccue

Okay but the idea of "I need to confess that I plotted and schemed to get with you" being met with "Oh, I know" is really adorable and sweet? You know someone's your perfect match when they've seen through you the whole time and it just makes them love you more.

@frillsjane7753

sigh indeed.. This song makes me feel in love even if I'm single haha

@shilpimaurya3944

basically joe and love

@flamingaish

wanna relate to it so bad 😭

@miggyarango8374

Agree

@pipergrace1016

Timestamp?

76 More Replies...

@hanningy

i love that now taylor isn’t afraid to shy away from the “strategically scheming” role people painted her as for so long. she’s our mastermind <3

@jodihummel5433

Oh how times fly basking in a wonderful mastermind

@hiral798

I hqte people labeling her as manipulator. She is just smart and knows what she wants whats wrong with that.

@clarkie13

i don't know why i'm urged to point out the double negatives XD but you're def right

More Comments

More Versions